Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-06-03

sands. They hesitated and finally stopped
their advance; there was no eagerness 10
cross spears with those three lines or grim
warriors who stood SD firm and ready. Pre-
sentfy. however tall general, with the Gus
tou,ary head-dress of nOddlng ostrlcl-piunes
came running up, attended by group OF
chiefs and orderlies, being, L Thought, none
other than Twala himself, and gave an order,
and the first regiment raised shout, ana
charged up toward the Grays. who remained
perfectly still and silent till the attacking
troops were within forty yards, and yolley
Of tollas, or throw g-kniveS, came rafting
among their ranks
Then suddenly with a bOand and roar,
they sprung forward with uplifted spears,
and the two regiments met in deadly strife.
Next second the roll of the meeting shields
came to our ears like the sound OF thunder,
and the whole plain seemed to be alive with
flashes of light reflected from the stabbin@-
spears. To and fro swung the heaving mass
OF struggling. stabbing humanity, but not for
long Suddenly the attacking lines seemed
to gr Nv thinner. and then with a slow, long,
heave the Grays passed over them, just as
great wave heayes up and passes over
sunken ridge. II was done; that regiment
was completely destroyed, but the Grays had
but two lines left now: a third OF their num-
Der were dead
Closing up shoulder , shoulder once more
they halted IN sllence and awaited attack,
and | was rejoiced to catch sight OF Sir Hen
rvs yellow beaTl as he moved 10 an fro, ar
ranging the ranks. 30 he was Vet alive!
Meanwhile we moved TAP to the ground of
the encounter. which was numbered b.
about four thousand prOStr It.. human be-
ings. dead dying AMI woun lie |. an literal
IL stained red with blood ISnnsi issued an
order, which WAS rapidly plS>e down the
ranks, to the effect that none or the enemies
wounded were to be killed. and So fac as We
could see tins order was Scrupu!ously carried
ou:. 1t would have been a shocking sight,
If we had had time to think OF il.
But now a second regiment, distinguished
by white plumes kits, and shields, was
moving up to the attack of the two tlOuSln
remaining Grays who stood waiting in the
same OminOus silence as before, till the foe
WAS within forty yards or 50, when they
hurled themselves with irresistible force up
on them. Again there came the awful roll
of the meeting shields, and a. we watched
the grim tragedy repeated itself. BY this
time the Issue was left longer in doubt; IN
deed ii seemed for awhile almost impossible
that the Gray5 should again prevail. The
attacking regiment which was one formed
of young men, fought with the utmost fury,
and at first seemed by sheer weight to be
driving the veterans back. The slaughter
was something awful hundreds falling
every minute; and from am ing the shouts
of the warriors and the grOluS of the dying,
set to the clashng music of meeting spears,
came a continuous Kissing undertono of
''S'gee, S'ger," the note Of triumph OF each
victor as lie passed his spear through and
through the body .: his fallen foe.
But perfect discipline and steady and I'M
changing yalOr can do wonders, and one vet
eran soldier is worth two Young ones. as
soon became apparent in the present case.
For Just rs we thought that il WAS all ~
with the Grays, and were preparing to take
their place so soon as they made room by be
ing destroyed. | heard Sir Henry deep
voice ringing out above the din, and caught
a glimpse of his circling battle-aX as he
waved it high above his plumeS. Then came
a change; the GrayS ceased 10 give; they
stood still as a rock, against which the fur
iouS waves Of Spearmcn broke again and
again. only to rccOl. Presently they began
to move again-fOrward this time; as they
had no firearms, there was no smoke, so we
could see it all. Another minute and the
onslaught grew fainter.
"Ah, they are men, indeed; they Will con-
quer again" called out Ignosi who was
grinding his teeth with excitement at my
side. See il is dOner'
Suddenly, like puffs of smoke from the
mouth of a cannon, the attacking regiment
broke away in flying groups, their white
head-dresses streaming behind them in the
wind, and left their opponents victOrS, in
deed, but alas! no more a regiment. OF the
gallant triple line, which, forty minutes be-
fore, had gone into action three thousand
strong, there remained at most some six
hundred bloOG-beSpattercd men; the rest
We're under-fOot And yet they chcered and
waved their spears in triumph, and then, in
stead of falling back upon us as we expected
they nan forward, fur Il hundred yards or SO,
after the tlying groups of foemen, took pos
session of gently rising knoll of ground
and, resummg the old triple formation,
formed tiIreefOld ring around it, And
then, thanks be to God, standing on the top
of the mouLd for Il minute, | saw Sir Henry,
apparently unframed, and with our old
friend lnfadooS. Then TwaIa'S regiments
rolled down upon the doomed band, and
once more the battle closed in. As those
who read this history viii probably long
a
of a coward, and certainly in no way given
TO fighting, though somehow. it has often
been my lot to get into unpleasant positions.
and To- be obliged to shed man : blood. But
| have always hated it, and kept my own
blood as undimniShed in quantity as pu>sihr.
sometimes by a judiciouS use OIL my lac l.
At tTis moment, however, for the fist ti:ue
iii my life, felt my bosom burn with IA +
tial ardur. Wariillc fragments FROM BE-,
"lngoldSby Legends together with man
bcrS of SangumIry verses from the Old + =
lament, sprang up in my brain like mylSlI-
rooms in the dark; my blood. which hitler
to hat been halt frozen with horror, went
beating through my VEINS. and there came
upon me savage desire to kill and spare
not. ! glanced Unnd at the Sarried ranks OF
warriors behind us, and somehow all in an
instant began to wonder if my face looked
like theirs. There they stood. their he%.!-
Crancd forward over their shields, the hands
twitching, the lips apart, the fierce features
inStincI with the hungry lust of battle and
in the eyes look like the glare of blooi.
hound when he sights his quarry.
Only lgnostS heart seemed, to judge fyoia
his comparative Sclf-posSeSSiOu, 10 all APP
pearancc. To beat rs calmly as ever beneath
his leopard skin cloak, though even he still
kept on grinding his teeth could stand il
no longer
"Ar we to Staud here until we put ont
roots, umhopa-lgnoSi, | meanwhile iva.
In swallows our brothers yonder"' | ,SNed
NAY, Macumaaahn,' was the answer;
"Sec, now is the ripe moment; let Us pluck
it"
As he spoke flesh regiment rushed past
the ring upon the little mound. aud wheeling
round, attacked it from the hither side.
Then lifting his battIe-aX IgnoSi gave the
signal Ia advance, and, raising the kukuaua
batte-cry, the BuiElloes charged home
What followed immediately on this 1t is
out OF my power to tell. All can remember
IS wild vet ordered rush that seemed to
shake the ground; a sudden change of front
and forming M on the part OF the regiment
against which the charge was directed; then
an awful shock, a dull roar of voices, and a
continuous flashing of spears, seen through a
red mist of blood.
When my mind cleared | found myself
standing inside the remnant of the Grays
near the top of the mound, and just behind
no less 4 person than Sir Henry himself.
How got there had, at that moment, no
idea, but Sir Henry afterward told me that
was borne up by the first furious charge OF
the Buifaloes almost 10 his feet, and then
left rs they IN turn We're pressed back
Thereon he dashed out of the circle and
dragged me into Il.
As for the fight that followed who can
describe it" Again and again the muttitudes
surEed up against our momentarIly leSSening
A..